Visual Stream Mapping
VISUAL STREAM MAPPING
1.1 Introduction
Lean manufacturing is a production practice that considers the expenditure of resources for any goal other than the creation of value for the end customer to be wasteful, and thus a target for elimination. Working from the perspective of the customer who consumes a product or service, "value" is defined as any action or process that a customer would be willing to pay for. The goal of Lean is to becomes the creation and maintenance of a production system which runs repetitively, day after day, week after week in a manner identical to the previous time period. Lean is actually the set of "tools" that assist in the identification and steady elimination of waste. As waste is eliminated quality improves while production time and cost are reduced. Examples of such "tools" are Value Stream Mapping, 5S, Kanban (pull systems), and poka-yoke (error-proofing).
1.2 Visual Stream Mapping (VSM)
Value stream mapping is a process designed to reduce lead time, to make product flow, and to eliminate waste (non value added operations or activities), all for the purpose of meeting customer demand at the lowest cost, and with the highest quality. Lean thinking relies on recognizing the “seven wastes” – over-production, over-processing, inventory, motion, scrap, waiting, and transportation. Target maps reveal which of these wastes can be eliminated now, and where.
The key to producing useful target maps is to look for low-cost improvements that encourage flow, reduce inventory, and test the organization’s ability to manage in a lean environment. The challenge of developing the attitudes, systems and communication necessary for a true pull system operating at customer takt should not be underestimated. A high inventory system hides a multitude of problems, which will slowly be exposed as batch sizes and WIP are reduced. The level of organization and standardization required for one-piece flow are rarely found in companies with
1.1 Introduction
Lean manufacturing is a production practice that considers the expenditure of resources for any goal other than the creation of value for the end customer to be wasteful, and thus a target for elimination. Working from the perspective of the customer who consumes a product or service, "value" is defined as any action or process that a customer would be willing to pay for. The goal of Lean is to becomes the creation and maintenance of a production system which runs repetitively, day after day, week after week in a manner identical to the previous time period. Lean is actually the set of "tools" that assist in the identification and steady elimination of waste. As waste is eliminated quality improves while production time and cost are reduced. Examples of such "tools" are Value Stream Mapping, 5S, Kanban (pull systems), and poka-yoke (error-proofing).
1.2 Visual Stream Mapping (VSM)
Value stream mapping is a process designed to reduce lead time, to make product flow, and to eliminate waste (non value added operations or activities), all for the purpose of meeting customer demand at the lowest cost, and with the highest quality. Lean thinking relies on recognizing the “seven wastes” – over-production, over-processing, inventory, motion, scrap, waiting, and transportation. Target maps reveal which of these wastes can be eliminated now, and where.
The key to producing useful target maps is to look for low-cost improvements that encourage flow, reduce inventory, and test the organization’s ability to manage in a lean environment. The challenge of developing the attitudes, systems and communication necessary for a true pull system operating at customer takt should not be underestimated. A high inventory system hides a multitude of problems, which will slowly be exposed as batch sizes and WIP are reduced. The level of organization and standardization required for one-piece flow are rarely found in companies with